Asteroid the size of a large passenger plane is approaching Earth! NASA issues warning

NASA has issued an alert that an asteroid the size of a 27-meter-long airplane is heading towards planet Earth. NASA has issued an alert about asteroid 2024 KN1, which is expected to approach Earth on June 23, 2024, at 11:39 pm IST. This asteroid, which belongs to the Amor group, has a diameter of about 27 meters and will be traveling at a speed of about 16,500 kilometers per hour.

Despite its close approach, asteroid 2024 KN1 will safely pass Earth at a distance of 5.6 million kilometers, which is about 14 times farther than the distance to the Moon.

NASA has classified asteroid 2024 KN1 as safe, stressing that it will not come close enough to pose an impact risk. Most near-Earth objects, including those like asteroid 2024 KN1, follow orbits that keep them a safe distance from our planet, making them safe. However, NASA is closely monitoring a small fraction of asteroids known to be potentially hazardous, whose orbits could bring them within a certain distance of Earth, posing a potential impact risk.

To monitor these celestial bodies, NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) uses data from observatories around the world, including contributions from projects such as Pan-STARRS, the Catalina Sky Survey, and NASA’s NEOWISE mission. Radar projects such as JPL’s Goldstone Solar System Radar Group also play a critical role in tracking these space rocks.

The ongoing monitoring efforts of astronomers, supported significantly by contributions from amateurs, play a crucial role in understanding and monitoring these celestial bodies. These joint efforts ensure early detection and assessment of all potential impact risks of near-Earth objects.

The upcoming approach of asteroid 2024 KN1 provides scientists with another opportunity to study these fascinating objects in our solar system. As technology and observational capabilities advance, our understanding of near-Earth objects and their trajectories improves, allowing us to better predict and mitigate potential future risks.